Good change for Ref Nikki
Last year 24-year-old Nikki O’Donnell, a keen sportswoman, switched from soccer to rugby because she fancied a change mid-way through the 2008/9 season and joined Darlington Mowden Park Sharks, who now compete in England’s Women’s Premiership. She then set out on a referees’ course with remarkable results.
With the advent this year of the Women’s Rugby World Cup, there has been a surge of interest in women’s rugby in England and there is a real growth in the number of women involved in refereeing.
Starting to play rugby she decided she needed to know the Laws of the Game and on the advice of a colleague decided to enrol on an Entry Level Referees Award course being run by the Durham Society of Referees.
Even for a woman with a sports science degree from Teesside University who is currently the North East Regional Sport Development Officer for British Blind Sport, her progress with the whistle has been remarkable.
At the moment she is handling league games in Northumberland & Durham Division Three and there are confident predictions among people who know about these things that she’ll be at Division One level before the end of next season.
Will Halford, Referee Development Officer for the North East and Yorkshire said: “The fact that Nikki is handling league rugby so soon after starting to referee tells its own story, and make no mistake, she is very good and her performances have fully justified the rapid increase in the level of games she’s been getting.”
“It’s absolutely brilliant to have someone of her calibre having the desire and commitment to come through the system and have the ambition to get to the highest level. The beauty of the success of Nikki, Helen Ashman from Houghton-le-Spring and another Northumberland girl, Lizzie Butler, in refereeing league rugby matches is that is proves conclusively that women really can handle important, competitive games and share fully in the buzz that comes from being involved in the sport.”
Nikki O’Donnell herself said: “My experience in the game since going on the course has been brilliant. Durham Referees have been really fantastic and I’ve had people at games on a regular basis to mentor me and give me tips on the areas of my game that I need to improve.
“At clubs the whole experience has been very positive. Officials have also been very supportive in terms of sorting out changing accommodation, making we welcome and generally treating my as they would any other referee, which is perfect. Exactly what I want. I just want to be judged on how I do the job.
“So far as bad language is concerned, players sometimes let their frustrations get on top of them and I understand that from being a player, but I tell them I don’t like it and generally they calm down. I’ve had one or two dust-ups to deal with, but nothing especially serious.
“The amusing part of the job is that every match I handle, the players come up and ask what they should call me – they’re so used to saying ‘Sir’ and don’t know whether they should say ‘Ma’am’. I reckon they have enough to think about in a game, and so I’m very happy with ‘Sir’.
And future ambitions? “With any sport, as a player, coach or official, the aim always has to be trying to get to the highest level possible, which in my case would be the Women’s World Cup or Six Nations Championship.
“As a short-term goal, I want to do well with the Sharks and keep playing, but also develop as an official with the help of Durham Referees’ Society and aim towards the Women’s Referee Development Squad by the end of next season. If I can progress down that route and hopefully get more women and girls interested in taking charge of games I’ll be very happy.”
From the RFU
